King County Comprehensive Plan

News

October 29, 2018 - The King County Council adopted the 2018 amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. The amendments direct a 2020 Midpoint Limited Update. Key dates in this process are as follows:

January 2, 2019 – Executive transmits a proposed Scope of Work to the County Council

February 28, 2019 – Deadline for Council adoption of Scope of Work

July 1, 2019 – Executive releases a Public Review Draft with a 30-day public comment period and public meetings (dates and location TBD)

September 30, 2019 – Executive transmits the Executive Recommended Plan to the County Council

June 30, 2020 – Deadline for Council adoption of 2020 Comprehensive Plan

To send comments about issues needing to be addressed in a limited 2020 update, click on the link in the “get involved” box.

July 2018 - Public-Initiated Docket Process: King County received five items in the docket period that closed on June 30, 2018. Visit the Docket page.

December 2017 – 2017 Comprehensive Plan Adopted: The Plan was updated to reflect the adoption of the Vashon-Maury Island Subarea Plan, with a few other mostly minor technical changes. View here.

About the Comprehensive Plan

The King County Comprehensive Plan is the long-range guiding policy document for all land use and development regulations in unincorporated King County, and for regional services throughout the County including transit, sewers, parks, trails and open space.

King County uses the long-range comprehensive planning process to guide growth and protect natural resources, and the results can be seen in viable resources lands, annexation of many urban areas into cities, and sustainable rates of growth in rural areas.

Additional information on the Plan can be found in the sidebars.

Updating the Comprehensive Plan

The Plan can be amended annually to address technical updates and make revisions that do not require substantive policy changes (KCC 20.18.070). Every fourth year, the "Four-Year Cycle" process occurs to conduct a complete review of the plan. In this review, broader policy issues can be addressed and the plan amended accordingly. Site-specific land use changes are considered either annually or every fourth year, depending on the extent of change proposed (KCC 20.18.060).